Thyssen leaves little to the imagination in his essay. He tells you as he sees it and doesn’t leave one much room to disagree. I do agree with a lot of what he says; however I do not view the systems and framework designers work in as a bad thing. There is a strong undertone to his writing that almost bashes a designer’s guidance by past experiences and internal dialogue. I believe the process of pushing ideas through our systems to fit the framework of a situation is what makes our work stronger. Every idea we have, every problem we solve is shaped by direct and indirect experiences from our past. Aesthetic or functional, these guiding lights help to keep designers relevant and their work practical.
At this point we’ve reached a junction dividing the designer as an artist for themselves or for clients. Thyssen asserts this meeting place is not always compatible. I agree, but I think there can be solutions, each tailored to the unique situation. For example, last fall I took a Native American Literature course. Our instructor told a story about her friend, a Native painter. This painter took requests from clients as to what they were looking for in a commissioned piece; but before appeasing their wishes she first painted a picture for herself. It was over this initial picture that she would cover the canvas in a scene that fit the client’s likings. Here the two sides met in a manner that catered both sides.
[http://endicottstudio.typepad.com/endicott_redux/2007/04/index.html]
Design may be a process of reworking old ideas -- that’s okay -- some ideas are too good to let go of. The golden rectangle anyone? Discovered by the Greeks, the perfect harmony created by the contrasting long and short sides is still perceived as accurate today. Artists and designers that use these dimensions in their products are simply doing what works best. Thus systems help us, they make things work better and should be celebrated, rather than frowned upon.
[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Rectangle_landscape.svg]
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